SwimmingMichael Phelps: Versatility Across the Pool
Phelps's individual and relay results show how several technical specialisms can support one extensive competitive programme.
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303 stories about sport and the people who shape it. Go deeper into a favourite discipline or discover something new.
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SwimmingKatie Ledecky: Sustaining Speed Over Distance
The 2012 Olympic 800m freestyle title provides a historical starting point for studying Ledecky's sustained pace.
SwimmingIan Thorpe: A Freestyle Figure in Australian Swimming
Thorpe's Sydney and Athens results connect individual middle-distance swimming with major relay performances.
GymnasticsGymnastics Scoring: Difficulty and Execution
A demanding routine still needs controlled performance. Read the components before interpreting the total.
GymnasticsMen's Artistic Gymnastics: Six Apparatus, Different Demands
Support, swing, strength holds and flight create a varied test across the men's all-around programme.
GymnasticsWomen's Artistic Gymnastics: Four Apparatus to Follow
Vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise each need a different viewing focus.
GymnasticsTeam, All-Around and Apparatus: Understanding the Medals
The same gymnast may appear repeatedly, but each competition stage asks a different question.
GymnasticsVault: What Happens During a Few Seconds of Flight
The run, board contact, support, airborne phase and landing form one connected performance.
GymnasticsBalance Beam: Control Between the Elements
The connections, pauses and small adjustments on beam can be as revealing as the acrobatic skills.
GymnasticsLanding Control: Important, but Not the Whole Routine
The final contact reflects airborne preparation, while the score still accounts for everything that came before it.
GymnasticsSimone Biles: Difficulty Within a Complete Performance
Biles's four Rio 2016 gold medals span team, all-around and apparatus competition.
GymnasticsNadia Comaneci: The Meaning of Montreal's Perfect Ten
Comaneci's 1976 achievement belongs to its own scoring era, not a numerical comparison with modern totals.
GymnasticsKohei Uchimura: All-Around Strength Across Six Apparatus
Uchimura's London and Rio titles show how a total is built through different technical demands.
DivingSpringboard and Platform: Different Ways to Take Off
The difference between springboard and platform begins with the support beneath the diver, not just its height.
DivingDiving Scores: Difficulty and Execution Together
A dive's value and its quality both shape the score. The splash is only one visible part of the assessment.